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history, literature
Marie Borremans: What our grandparents said and we will/won’t say to our children
By Marie Borremans, translated by Laura Vroomen
Eighteen young Flemish and Dutch authors bring an artefact to life from the Slavery exhibition at the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam. Marie Borremans wrote a poem inspired by a letter from Pieter Mortamer, commander in Luanda, addressed to Johan Maurits, the then governor-general of Dutch Brazil. In this letter, written on 31 October 1642, Mortamer advises on high-level diplomatic negotiations with the Congolese king.
A letter from Pieter Mortamer, commander in Luanda, addressed to Johan Maurits, the then governor-general of Dutch Brazil.
© Royal Collections, The Hague
© Royal Collections, The Hague
what our grandparents said and we will/won’t say to our children
This text was written during a residency at Flemish-Dutch cultural organisation Huis deBuren in association with the Biermans-Lapôtre Foundation.